Rabi sowing area to exceed last year level: Govt

New Delhi: The Centre on Monday said that it expects total area coverage under rabi (winter) crops like wheat to exceed the previous year's 655.88 lakh hectares.

"Rabi sowing is higher than last year's progress. There was a lot of rain. And in some areas because of the late harvesting, it's a bit delayed. But we hope that we will cover the rabi higher than last year," Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi told reporters here.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, farmers have planted wheat and the main rabi crop, in 66.23 lakh hectare as on November 17 of this year, as against 56.55 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.

Pulses acreage has increased to 52.82 lakh hectare as against 48.93 lakh hectare, while oilseeds area increased to 15.53 lakh hectare from 13.50 lakh hectare in the said period.

Total area sown to all rabi crops remained higher at 208.19 lakh hectare as on November 17 of this year, as against 188.73 lakh hectare in the year-ago period.